Mask
by Rachel-DI
Summary: The dunk tank scene from Façade, under Chloe's POV.


Mask

_This looks like an anthill._, was Chloe's Sullivan thought, as she tried to go downstairs, squeezing herself through the students that were walking by the halls and stairs of Smallville High. She was headed to the pep rally on the football field; Clark had just been accepted to the Crows team, and Chloe was sure it would be the funniest thing to watch him dunk into the tank of water.

She had just passed by the Torch, and found out lots of pieces of paper above her desk, dressed to her cousin Lois. Fan mail. Chloe smiled to herself. Her attempts to get her cousin to The Torch were being quite successfull. She needed credits, Chloe needed a writer. And she could tell, Lois was a good one.

Chloe had always known Lois was good at writing – except for the spell part, maybe -, but when she readed her cousin's article... Well, she would be lying if she say she wasn't impressed.

When she finally managed to go to the main hall, she saw Lois stood against the wall, looking at the Torch – more specifically reading her own article. You didn't have to be a genius to see Lois was smiling. Chloe grinned.

"Admiring the genius within, huh?" she teased friendly. Lois looked up from her article quickly. They walked together through the hall.

"I had a typo." she said, clearly trying to cover up her pride.

"Oh, nice try." replied Chloe, rolling her eyes and smiling. "So I followed up on the Abby storyline, and it looks like Mother Makeover is gonna be playing 'mirror, mirror' on the psych ward wall from now on."

"Is Abby gonna be okay?" asked Lois, hesitantly.

"Yeah, she'll be back next week." answered Chloe. Now, enough with all that makeover conversation. It was time to see how her cousin was reacting at her successfull article. "So are you excited for your first pep rally?"

"Hmm, not exactly the Friday night I've been dreaming of."

"Oh, come on, it's your debut as Smallville's newest celeb." said Chloe, smiling. Lois rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, right. One plastics 'r' us piece, and they're gonna be holding tables all over town for me."

"You'd be surprised. I mean, not that I'm ceding my stance on a woman's right to choose rhinoplasty, but..." Chloe smiled and handed Lois the pieces of paper she had been holding." "...you've got fan mail. Looks like your little exposé struck a couple chords."

Chloe watched her cousin carefully, trying not to miss any detail. Lois was an expert in hiding her feelings. She seemed really surprised.

"I didn't even expect anybody to read this, let alone have a..." She read the first letter of the little pile. "'A life-changing experience'? Please."

Chloe smiled knowingly. She knew Lois was proud of herself. And hell, she deserved it.

"Whatever. Say what you want, but I know inside, it's getting to you." said Chloe, wisely. Lois looked at her, with an unreadable expression on her face. Chloe grinned. "Welcome to the bullpen, Miss Lane." She turned around, starting to walk away. "Now, I'm off to see Clark Kent in a wet T-shirt." Chloe turned to her cousin, who suddenly was with an interested expression on her face. "Care to join me?"

"Like I've never seen that before..." Lois said, while she ran to catch Chloe. She laughed and grabbed Lois's hand, dragging her to the pep rally.

"I can only imagine." answered Chloe. Lois smiled smugly.

They ran toward the football field as fast as they could, trying to get there on time, not wanting to miss anything.

A large group of students were watching as Clark was getting ready to take his seat above the tank of water. He noticed Chloe and Lois arriving.

"Hey!" he greeted. "You came." he added, looking at Lois, smirking.

"We wouldn't miss this for the world!" said Chloe, smiling. It would definitely be a great vision.

Lois examined Clark's clothing. He was wearing a white T-Shirt and shorts.

"Nice to see you changed that flannel shirt for something decent!" she teased. Some of the students laughed.

"Don't get your hopes up, Lois, it's not permanent!"

"I should have known." she answered, smiling.

Clark rolled his eyes and took his seat above the thank. Lois and Chloe watched Coach Teague walking toward them, with a smile on his face.  
"Let's get this party started!" he said. The crowd cheered. "Allright! Who wants to be the first to take a shot at our newest starting quarterback??" Some arms raised on the crowd, but no one actually walked in front of Jason. "More courage, people! You have to walk toward here!! Come on!!" A few more arms raised, but no one actually walked toward Jason. "Anyone??"

"I'll do it." said a voice. A feminine voice. That was at Chloe's side.

Chloe looked at her cousin, happily, as Clark raised his eyebrows when he identified the owner of the voice.

"You are going to dunk Clark?" Chloe asked, incredulous and laughing. "That is going to be so funny!"

"We have a brave woman here!" said Jason, as Lois and Chloe walked toward his's side, Lois's eyes locked into Clark's, in challenging way. The crowd cheered.

"No way you're going to dunk me, Lane!" teased Clark.

"You just wait and see, Kent!" said Lois, taking the football Jason handed to her. Chloe laughed excitedly. That was going to be so hilarious.

"You know how to throw it?" asked Jason. Lois nodded. The crowd cheered even more.

"Come on, 'cuz, I know you can do it!!" said Chloe, supporting her. Lois focused her attention at the target.

Clark crossed his arms.

Lois threw the football quickly, at the targed but she missed.

"Crap," she murmured.

The whole crowd and Clark yelled "Oooooooooooooowwwwwww!!!"

Jason picked up another ball and handed it to Lois.

"Keep your eye on the target."

"Right there, Lois." said Chloe, rubbing her hands. She knew her cousin didn't need Jason's advice. She looked at Clark.

"Come on, Lois! Didn't those guys on the base teach you anything?" teased Clark, smiling.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Chloe laughed. Clark gestured at the targed, urging Lois to take her shot. "Doesn't matter, 'cause you are going down."

"That'll be the day." said Clark, smiling.

All the eyes of the students were in Lois and Clark. The crowd started to cheer.

"Dunk! Dunk! Dunk! Dunk! Dunk! Dunk! Dunk!"

Lois pulled back her arm.

"Will she miss it again?" asked Jason, to Chloe. She smiled and shrugged.

"Who knows?"

Lois smiled and threw the football at the targed. This time, hitting it dead center. Clark looked at the target for a second, before dropping into the tank with a sonorous "SPLASH".

Chloe laughed loudly and started to clap like the whole crowd, while Lois threw her arms up and cheered, clapping too.

"Whoooohoo!!" she yelled.

Chloe watched Clark for a second before turn to her cousin and hi-five with her.

Chloe grinned while she watched Clark standing up, soaking wet, with a huge smile on his face. It WAS a hell of a view, thought Chloe, smiling. Lois ran toward the tank.

Chloe turned to Jason, happily.

"She did it!!"

She turned to Clark and Lois right on time to see Lois messing up with his hair. She said something that only Clark could hear and then turned around, walking back to Chloe, with a huge smile on her face. Clark splashed some water of the tank on her, and Lois turned around to smile at him again.

Chloe looked from one to another.

Clark shook water from his wet hair with one hand, and he was grinning widely. But it wasn't the usual smirks he used to give at Lois.

It wasn't the friendly smile he used to give to her. Not even the shy one he used to give to Lana. It was a kind of smile Chloe had never seen Clark giving anyone before. It was a real happy smile. A deilighted smile. A smile that could bright the darkest night.

And she felt her stomach twist in realization.

She noticed the sparks between them since they had saved her from Lionel's men. And the teasing between them was sometimes insufferable.

But they had never shown so much chemistry and mutual affection like now. An affection that was growing up dangerously.

Chloe knew Clark and her would never have something serious. They would never share the beautiful moment he was sharing with Lois now.

Chloe couldn't explain, but the asleep feelings she had for Clark suddenly came up in another form. Jealous.

She felt terrible. Silly. Stupid.

Cheated.

She went through that with Lana. She had been terribly hurt. She didn't want to go through that with her own cousin, that she loved so much.

But maybe there wasn't anything between them besides friendship, she thought. Maybe she was just being paranoid.

She remembered Lois messing with Clark's hair and he throwing water on her. And the happy smiles.

_Flirting._

Chloe licked her lips and stared at Clark, struggling to keep the smile on her face.

She would have to fight against this too. She didn't want to lose her best friend and her cousin because of some stupid thing she knew it wouldn't happen.

She looked from Clark to Lois one last time, and watched her cousin giving Clark another triumphant smile, the brightest she had ever seen Lois give.

Chloe lowered her eyes to the ground, unhappily and fought against the stupid tears.

No.

It wasn't paranoia. It wasn't hallucination.

The sparks, the chemistry, they were there, and it was too soon to affirm, but maybe some feelings were there too, hidden behind that clever mask of bickering and teasing.

If something would ever happen between them, Chloe didn't know.

All that she knew was that she had to swallow that feelings, and she would support Clark and Lois and be there for them, no matter what.


End file.
